The BEST Creamy Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup you can make in the Slow Cooker OR on the Stove top!
Update 2/25/2016: This Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup is still one of the most popular recipes on my blog! I wanted to update it with some better pictures and give instructions for making it in the Slow Cooker OR on the stove top.
I LOVE this soup! I have a few different recipes for tomato, basil soup but I love this one because it has veggies hidden inside it! It tastes great and is a little more nutritious than a typical creamy tomato soup. It’s also super yummy served the next day if you want to make it in advance or have some yummy leftovers in your fridge!
Creamy Tomato, Basil, Parmesan Soup
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes, with the juice
- 1 cup finely diced carrots
- 1 cup finely diced onions
- 1 cup finely diced celery
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp dried oregano or Tbsp fresh oregano
- ¼ cup fresh basil or 1 Tbsp dry basil
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup flour
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1½ cups half and half or whole milk
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
For the Slow Cooker:
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Add diced tomatoes, carrots, onions, celery, tomato paste, chicken broth, oregano, and basil to your slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.
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About 30 minutes before the soup is ready, prepare a roux. Melt the butter over medium low heat in a skillet and add the flour. Whisk together constantly for about 10 minutes or until the roux is a nice golden brown color. Slowly add 1 cup of the soup from the slow cooker to the roux--it will start to form a thick paste. Slowly add another 3 cups of warm soup to the roux. Whisk together until smooth. Add the roux mixture to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
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Pour soup into blender (you may need to do this in batches, depending on how big your blender is)
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Purée until smooth. Return to the slow cooker.
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Stir in the Parmesan cheese, half and half (or milk), and salt and pepper. Add additional oregano and basil if needed, to taste. Stir well. Cover and cook on low for another 20-30 minutes or until warm.
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Try it served in a yummy homemade bread bowl!
For the Stove Top:
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Add diced tomatoes, carrots, onions, celery, tomato paste, chicken broth, oregano, and basil to a large soup pot. Bring to a gently boil and cook for several minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
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In a separate pot, prepare the roux. Add butter to the pot over medium low heat and allow to melt. Stir in the flour and whisk together constantly for about 10 minutes or until the roux is a nice golden brown color. Slowly add 1 cup of the soup from the other pot to the roux--it will start to form a thick paste. Slowly add another 3 cups of warm soup to the roux. Whisk together until smooth. Add the roux mixture to soup pot and stir to combine.
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Pour soup into blender (you may need to do this in batches, depending on how big your blender is)
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Purée until smooth. Return to soup pot.
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Stir in the Parmesan cheese, half and half (or milk), and salt and pepper. Add additional oregano and basil if needed, to taste. Stir well. Cook for a few more minutes until warmed through.
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Try it served in a yummy homemade bread bowl!
Adapted from The Recipe Critic.
If you like this soup you may like:
Jessica W says
Oh my goodness, I am going to put this in the crock pot right now! Looks delish 🙂
Anonymous says
They all look yummy. Tess
L'Artisan says
If I were to use fresh tomatoes instead of canned, how many do you think I would need? And is the Parmesan cheese the shredded Parm, or the spaghetti cheese? This looks amazing, my kids love tomato soup and grilled cheese! Thanks for the recipe!
Lauren Allen says
I would use about 5 large fresh tomatoes and I like to use freshly grated Parmesan cheese, not the powder kind! Hope you love this soup as much as I do!
Misty says
Thanks! I was wondering about the Parm. cheese, too. I don’t like carrots, but I love creamy tomato soups and this sounds good – and in the end the carrots get all pureed. So, even though I’m going to make it and I know what’s in it I’m going to pretend I don’t, but still get some good, healthy carrot benefits.
J. Valentine says
I made some 2 days ago and it is so yummy! I used powdered Parmesan and my soup had a slightly grainy texture to it. The flavor was still wonderful, but the texture was less bisque like. Next time I make this, I will definitely use a better quality grated Parmesan.
Question, do you think I could combine all the ingredients up to the point of starting the crock pot and freeze it? I could make a few batches and just pop one in the crock pot when I’m craving this soup!
Lauren Allen says
I’m so glad you liked it! Yes it definitely tastes best with freshly grated parmesan! And I think that’s a great idea to freeze the ingredients beforehand and then throw them in the crockpot when you’re ready and add the rue the day you decide to make the soup! That would work great!
Anonymous says
Would I be able to make this the night before? Or would the veggies get to soft?
Lauren Allen says
I honestly think the soup tastes even better the next day! I put the soup in the blender at the end so that’s it’s really smooth and creamy….but if you don’t want to blend it I still think the chunky veggies would taste great the next day.
Anonymous says
Instead of the blender, could you use a hand-mixer…or maybe pour the soup into the bowl of a KitchenAide? My blender jar isn’t very big…
Lauren Allen says
I have a small blender jar as well so I just blend the soup in batches. But you could definitely try a hand mixer…the result probably won’t be as smoothly pureed but the soup doesn’t have to be blended either. Some people like it with more veggie chunks in it…. Hope this helps 🙂
Anonymous says
Just made this…very yummy. Cut a few calories using Nonfat condensed milk.
Jackie says
Could i use gluten free flour?
Lauren Allen says
Hi Jackie, I’ve never worked with gluten free flour so I couldn’t say for sure–the flour in this recipe is just used as a thickening agent so worse case scenario, your soup might not be as thick, but would still taste great!
Laura Loo says
I often use tapioca to thicken stews and soups….I am sure it would work here….
Stacey says
I was wondering if you could also use cornstarch or a gluten free flour to thicken it? It sounds amazing and would love to try it now that it’s almost fall
Lauren Allen says
Hi Stacey, you could use gluten free flour. If you use cornstarch you wouldn’t use as much (probably only 1-2 Tbsp to start) and make sure to mix it with a little bit of water first! Hope you love it!
em says
Have you ever tried adding lemon zest or lemon grass while it is cooking? (you remove lemon grass before serving)
Lauren Allen says
I’ve never tried it but it definitely could be yummy! Let me know how you like it if you try it!
Kim says
This sounds delicious! Do you think I could substitute heavy cream for the half and half? It’s in my fridge and half and half is not 😛
Lauren Allen says
Hi Kim, that should work great!
Gianellia says
I added a small can of tomato paste, one additional cup of broth and more salt and pepper. Then, 1/4 cup 25 year balsamic vinegar… Delicious!
anna clark says
Could the first part be turned up to high for a bit to cook the soup faster?
Lauren Allen says
Hi Anna, Do you mean could you cook the first part in a pot rather than the slow cooker? Yes, you could!
Cyndi says
I made this in my Vitamix. I made the roux on the stovetop to prevent a “floury” taste. I then put all the ingredients, including the roux, into the Vitamix–except the broth and Parmesan cheese. I ran it until it was very, very hot. Then I added the cheese and pulsed several times. The cheese did not melt entirely, which was perfect. I completely omitted the broth!! The result was a very thick, restaurant-quality, amazing soup!
Lauren Allen says
Thanks for commenting–your adaptions sound wonderful 🙂
Sara @ Don't Feed After Midnight says
What is Half & Half? I’ve never heard of it here in the UK! Loving the sound of this soup and any comfort food that can be made in the slow cooker is always a winner!
Lauren Allen says
It is basically half cream, half milk. You could substitute half cream and half milk, or you could even use evaporated milk 🙂
Jody says
Made this for dinner this evening with grilled ham and cheese sandwiches… It was AWESOME! I used only 1/4 cup of both the flour and butter in the roux. The veggies make it so filling and secretly healthier, and I was so pleased!! I used an immersion blender which made for easier cleanup…. Can’t wait to try it with fresh tomatoes and basil in the summer! Thanks so much!
Lauren Allen says
YUM! My mom recently told me she cuts down the butter as well–glad you liked it! Thanks for commenting!
Martha says
Just made this and it is delicious!! No need to puree if you like it a little chunky. I also added 1 TBS of minced garlic.
Mary says
We made this for dinner tonight and my family LOVED this soup!! I did not blend it at the end though, I served it right out of the crock pot. It was just as delicious. They were already asking when I will make this again!
Lauren Allen says
Very happy to hear it! Thanks for commenting 🙂
Karen Wade says
How would I change the cooking time if I was making this on the stove?
Lauren Allen says
Hi Karen, to make it in a saucepan, add all of the veggies to the pan and saute. Add the tomatoes, paste, chicken broth and seasoning and cook until the veggies are tender. Make and add the roux according to the directions.I would blend it at this point (if you want to blend it). Then add the half and half, parmesan and any other spices, to taste. Heat through.
Enjoy!
erica says
I had planned on making this soup today but I woke up late and didn’t have prep time. I was anxiously scanning the comments section in hopes of finding a stove adaptation and now I’m so glad I did. Thanks for adding it, now I can rush home and make the soup after work!
Lindsey says
I’ve made this soup many times now, this is definitely a favorite! I double or every time and serve with grilled cheese. The only tweak I do is a clove or two of garlic.
AshleyP says
Wondering if I could freeze 1/2 the soup. Thinking if either making a double batch or freezing half of it. Expecting a baby in a few weeks so trying to meal prep. This soup is amazing! Made it before, but never froze it. Should I cook it all then freeze it, or freeze before cooking? Thx so much!
Lauren Allen says
Hi Ashley, I think freezing it after cooking it would work great! Congratulations on having a baby soon! Hope it goes smoothly for you 🙂
Dominique says
I don’t really use dairy products, is the whole milk or half and half required? Is there an alternative I could use?
Lauren Allen says
Hi Domique, they just make it creamier–you could try almond milk or coconut milk–they will give a slightly different flavor but I think they’ll still be yummy!
Diana says
Made this last night. It tasted very diluted to me. Why add in so much milk and then thicken the soup with flour? Next time I’ll omit both steps.
Darci Edwards says
Do you know what the nutritional information is for each serving ?